Cost-effective Capacity Expansion of Hydropower Plants in Skellefteälven

Abstract:

Hydropower is important for the balance of the power system in Sweden. As the power system transitions to more intermittent electricity production, its importance as provider of balance power increases. Due to environmental interests and laws, the easiest way of increasing the balancing power of hydropower in Sweden is to increase the capacity of already existing hydropower plants. This report proposes a model for simulating capacity expansions of hydropower plants. The model is used to estimate the optimal way of expanding the hydropower plants of the Swedish river Skellefteälven, in terms of cost-effectiveness. The results show that the hydropower plants of the river should be expanded by a total of 18, 25 or 76 MW for different scenarios. The simulated operation is compared to real life data and the effects of a capacity expansion is discussed. The model is general and can be used in the analysis of other capacity expansion projects regarding hydropower.